A Web of Elements
by ManOfAction1138
Summary: Heads up, true believers, as we bring to you the story of Spider-Man as never told before! Pavtir Prabhakar was just an normal teenager until the spider spirit Arachne chose him to be her champion. Thus, a legend was born and it would not be long before the young hero would join up with a group of other young heroes to save the world. Action, Romance, Drama, it's all here folks!
1. Pavitr Prabhakar

_Katara: Water. Earth. Fire. Air. Long ago the Four Nations lived-_

 _Aang: Katara, wait!_

 _Katara: Aang, what is it? I'm trying to tell our story._

 _Aang: But sweetie, they know our story already!_

 _Katara: They do? How?_

 _Aang: I don't know, but I think they'd like to hear something different._

 _Katara: But Aang, I don't know any other stories about us._

 _Aang: Hmmm. Ooh! Ooh! What about the Myth of Arachne? You haven't told that one before._

 _Katara: The Myth of Arachne? What are you talking about, sweetie?_

 _Aang: She's how Pavitr got his spider powers!_

 _Katara: Pavitr? Spider powers? Oh, right! Him._

 _Aang: Yeah, Katara! Tell them how he became Spider-M-_

 _Katara: You know what, sweetie? Maybe he should tell the story himself?_

* * *

"We're waiting, Pavitr. Recite the words.", Mrs. Gao, the impatient teacher of Pavtir Prabhakar's class said. The awkward teenager stumbled to the front of the stage, adjusting his spectacles, and spoke shakily, but clearly, "The Myth of Arachne. A Tale of Transformation...and spiders. There was this girl and everyone said. She made miracles, marvels with nothing but thread. A weaver who wove like a god, made you feel. Made you swear that her pictures were realer than real. Amazed, the world gazed at her tapestries, trapped by her artistry. And her name, her name was Arachne."

Suddenly, the scenery behind him parted to reveal a chorus of dancers in ceremonial robes swinging from aerial tapestries as bottom layers of cloth ascended from the floor, forming the illusion of a woven work of art. Then, from above, descended the figure of a girl in a web patterned dress sitting at a weaving loom and she said, "Behold and wonder. Beheld by my creations. But I can sew through time and space. I alone possess the talents to command your race." As the girl playing Arachne pretended to weave at the loom, one of the dancers spoke, "Arachne's boastful words reached the Painted Lady, who demanded a weaving contest to prove Arachne was misusing her talents. Arachne accepted the challenge, but, in her arrogance, she wove blasphemous images into her tapestry to mock the spirits." They all joined in a chorus of, "The powers have been abused. The spirits are not amused.", as a massive specter of the Painted Lady descended over the tapestry and raised its arms, causing it to fall.

The girl playing Arachne lamented, "I have wasted my art. So what good is my thread? My pride overruled my heart. Now, it's shamed. I should be dead."

Just like that, a silk thread, meant to represent a noose, descended from above the stage which the actress wrapped around her neck. "And the girl falls from the sky.", the dancers said unison, before one of them continued with, "But before Arachne died, the Painted Lady transformed her." This would usually be the part of the performance where spider legs would emerge from her back and the chorus would continue, but the legs weren't extending for some reason. Backstage, Pavitr was captivated watching Arachne's performance and didn't pick up on his cue. In his mind, Pavitr said, "Spirits, she's amazing. No wonder everyone on this island worships her. Sometimes I wish I could be like a spider: strong, quick, cunning. All things that I'm not. All I get for being smart is a knock on the head from Falak Thaman."

"I said, The Painted Lady transformed her.", repeated the dancer, which Pavitr actually heard and began fiddling with the ropes and pulleys that would extend the spider legs, but nothing was working. Eventually, the rope suspending the Arachne performer snapped causing her to fall onto the stage and take everything with her. The entire audience gasped at the chaos and when the dust cleared, Mrs. Gao screamed at the top of her lungs, "PRABHAKAR!" Pavitr was cowering in the corner, hoping that no one could see him. But, of course, they did and immediately the insults started flying, with taunts like, "Nice going, Puny Prabhakar!", coming from Falak Thaman and, "You wrecked our play, Mondo Nerdo!", coming from Lipika Ahluwalia, who was one of the dancers.

Pavitr hung his head in shame and started trekking for the home of his Uncle Bhim and Aunt Maya, dodging hurled cabbages as he went. "One of these days, those guys are gonna be sorry for the way they treat me. One day, I'll rise above all this and be better than them."

* * *

 **Next Time: Family and Friends**


	2. Family and Friends

Pavitr Prabhakar had been born to Rishabah and Marya Prabhakar fourteen years ago; they had loved and raised him until their untimely deaths in a shipwreck. It was then that Pavtir fell into the care of Rishabah's brother Bhim and his wife Maya, who were unprepared, but otherwise took in and loved Pavitr like he was their own son. However, unbeknownst to anyone, Pavtir always carried with him the belief that he had somehow made his parents go away and did what he could to please his aunt and uncle, from good grades at school to being home on time.

What Pavtir didn't realize was that he didn't need to jump through all these hoops to please them; his aunt and uncle loved him no matter what. After the fiasco at the performance of _The Myth of Arachne_ , Pavitr trudged home and, as he got closer to the Prabhakar family homestead, his self-pity died down and was replaced by a feeling of comfort and joy. He could smell his aunt making her island famous lychee nut and coconut shaved cookies, which were his favorite. He entered the hovel to find a smiling Uncle Bhim and Aunt Maya; but their smiles instantly disappeared when they saw their nephew covered in cabbage waste.

"Pavtir, honey! What happened to you? Are you alright?", Aunt Maya asked, immediately rushing to Pavitr's side and checking him up and down. "Did Falak Thaman give you a hard time again today?", asked Uncle Bhim, to which Pavitr replied, "Yeah, he's just jealous of my highly evolved brain pitted against his puny one." Uncle Bhim looked at him with a serious look, causing Pavitr to sigh and admit, "I screwed up the performance today, Uncle Bhim. Again! In front of everybody!" The old man nodded in understanding and said, "Oh, son. You shouldn't be torn up about that. Probably just a glitch in that mechanism thing you cooked up.", then he walked over to the dining room table, sat down, and continued, "Now, how's about you have a seat. Your aunt made us your favorites: lychee nut and coconut shaved cookies."

Pavitr smiled and sat down next to his uncle, as Aunt Maya went into the kitchen to bring them cups of moo-sow milk. Suddenly, a melodic voice could be heard from outside asking, "Are those Maya Prabhakar's island famous lychee nut and coconut shaved cookies I smell?", as the figure stepped into the house and revealed herself to be Pavitr Prabhakar's best friend, Meera Jain. She had been chosen to perform the role Arachne for this year's pageant; Meera Jain had been the one most concerned for Pavtir after the little mishap with the stage mechanics. Her best friend mattered more to her than playing Arachne; Pavitr (or Pav, as she called him) and Meera Jain (or MJ, as he called her), had been friends since they were children. They did everything together, and then, one day when they both turned thirteen, they decided to "get serious". One kiss later, things were back to normal and they never spoke of it again (except when Aunt Maya wanted to bug them).

"Hey, MJ.", greeted Pavitr sheepishly, "Sorry about wrecking the play today." Meera Jain just giggled, reached over, and ruffled her friend's hair while saying, "Oh, Pav. Don't worry about that. I was more afraid you would get hurt by that contraption you made." Pavitr's cheeks reddened with embarrassment and he said, "At least you weren't hurt, MJ. Maybe it was the hydraulic unit I installed in the back of the spider legs; they must have jammed up when I flipped the switch." Aunt Maya put both of her hands on each of their shoulders and said, "I'm just glad the both of you weren't hurt." Pavitr placed his hand comfortingly on his aunt's and said, "Just my pride, Aunt Maya. Just my pride. I have to use the washroom.", then he stood up to go there. "Hurry back, son.", called Uncle Bhim as he and his wife continued to talk with Meera Jain; Pavitr took one last look at the three of them and thought to himself, _"Ok, maybe my life's not all bad."_

* * *

Unbeknownst to Pavitr, he was being watched from the Spirit World by a particular spirit from her prison: the Web of Destiny. Trapped there by her own blasphemy, she had been desperately looking for a way to make amends with the spirits; she had seen how the Hundred Year War that was slowly consuming the world and the Avatar was nowhere to be seen. She had offered to find someone to bestow her power to that would turn the tide in favor of reason and goodness; the higher spirits begrudgingly agreed, but only if her champion would succeed in their mission. They would have to use their power selflessly, never for personal gain, or Arachne would have to spend another hundred years in darkness and the Avatar would return.

Arachne believed she had found her champion in Pavitr, as she gazed at his visage and said to herself, "At last, I've found you. My Spider-Man."

* * *

 **Next Time: With Great Power**


	3. With Great Power

"Pavitr!", called Aunt Maya from down the stairs, "Get up! You'll be late for the morning worship!" Pavitr shrieked and tumbled out of bed, scrambling around the room to get dressed. Seconds later, a crash could be heard as Pavitr tumbled down the stairs and landed hard on his back; Uncle Bhim and Aunt Maya ran over to his side immediately with concern. "You okay there, sport?", Uncle Bhim asked, to which Pavitr replied, "Oh yeah, I'm good. I just need a minute to catch my breath." Aunt Maya shook her head and said, "Pavitr, how you manage to get back up after a fall like that is beyond me." Pavitr just smiled sheepishly and replied, "I guess I'm just amazing, Aunt Maya." At that moment, Meera Jain popped in with a basket full of fruit and said, "Get your butts in gear, Prabhakars! It's almost time!", before popping back out and racing towards the Arachne Worshiping Grounds.

Pavitr had a worried look on his face when he realized that everyone from school was going to be there. "Uh, on second thought.", Pavitr said, "Maybe I should stay here and look after the house while everybody's gone." Uncle Bhim and Aunt Maya were surprised by their nephew's proclamation, so Aunt Maya asked, "What's the matter, dear? Why don't you want to go to the morning worship?" Pavitr sighed and replied, "I don't know if I can show my face around everybody after what happened yesterday. Falak already has it in for me and don't even get me started on Lipika Ahluwalia." Uncle Bhim smiled knowingly at Pavitr and asked him, with the twinkle in his eye that all experienced men seem to have, "What do I always say, Pavitr?" Pavitr groaned out, "Uncle Bhim.", but the older man pressed on with, "What do I always say, Pavitr?" Finally, Pavitr relented and droned, "You owe the world your gifts. You just have to figure out how to use them and know that wherever they take you, we'll always be here." Uncle Bhim nodded and replied, "That's right. Now if you don't think you've got any gifts, offer something to Arachne today and see what you get."

* * *

The Prabhakars arrived at the Worshiping Grounds in no time at all. Many of the families that populated the isloand had already arrived and were taking their places at the altar. Unbeknownst to anyone, however, Arachne herself was among them; she had taken the form of a small red and blue spider. She was waiting for the one she had observed in the Spirit World, the one who she would bestow her gifts upon. Then she saw him, directly under the tree that she was perched on: an easy target! Right now the mortals were bowing to her statue, so Arachne's chance would come when the Prabhakar boy would raise his hands again. All it would take was one bite to seal the bargain; Arachne spun herself a web to slide down towards him and readied her fangs.

Meanwhile, on the ground, Pavitr was having a mental battle of what he could offer to Arachne in exchange. His aunt and uncle had brought fruit and the year's harvest, but he had nothing, at least he thought he didn't. So without thinking, Pavitr prayed to Arachne and said, _O, great and wise Arachne. I offer you my heart in exchange for something that will change my life forever._ Arachne heard his prayer as she landed on his right hand, skittered down the middle of his hand, and sunk her fangs directly into his flesh. Pavitr felt an instant pain engulf his hand and screamed, startling everyone and disrupting the ceremony. Rivulets of blood were pouring down his hand, causing Pavitr to faint. Aunt Maya, Uncle Bhim, and Meera Jain immediately rushed to his side, concerned and horrified by what they had just saw.

Arachne took cover behind some blades of grass and watched her champion fall. _A bit on the faint side, but that'll change once my venom sets in. Be ready, my Spider-Man, for the path ahead will be covered with strain and strife._ With that, she crawled away and disappeared back into the Spirit World; Uncle Bhim hoisted his nephew up and carried him to the healer's den. Meera Jain and Aunt Maya followed behind, tears streaming down their faces with fear of whether or not Pavitr would pull through.

* * *

 _Awaken_ , was the word that caused Pavitr to open his eyes and take in his surroundings. There were webs everywhere, some were blue and some were red, and millions of spirits that resembled spiders were crawling along the webs and weaving more as they went. To say Pavitr was frightened would be a mild description to say the least; he was downright terrified! The boy was even more shocked to see that some of the spider spirits began crawling over his shoulders. He shook them off and began hopping up and down to make sure they didn't get anywhere under his clothes. Suddenly, he was face to face with a being he had never seen before: it had the body of a giant spider, but the torso, arms, and head of a beautiful girl. Granted, her arms looked like pincers, but still Pavitr had never seen a being like this before. The spider-woman creature was hanging upside down by a strand of webbing that was extending from her spinneret into an infinite black void and looking him directly in the eye.

She smiled at him and said, _Welcome to my world, Pavitr Prabhakar._ Pavitr could barely find his voice when he asked, "Who? What are you?" She propelled herself away and answered, _Come now. You and your kind have worshiped me for thousands of years and you cannot recognize your own deity?,_ causing Pavitr to think for a moment and say, "Arachne?! You're real?!" Arachne swung herself right in his face and yelled, _OF COURSE I'M REAL, YOU DUNCE! I didn't bring you all the way from your world to question my existence!_ Pavitr recoiled in shock from her outburst and asked, "Those webs that are attached to your legs, are they holding you up?" Arachne sadly shook her head and answered, _I wear the webs I weaved in life. They are the instruments of my damnation._ Pavitr responded with, "Damnation? You're a prisoner here?" Arachne nodded and continued, _I have been doomed to remain here in the Web of Destiny for my crimes against the spirits. I must weave in the darkness, nevermore in the light._

Pavitr felt a brief pang of sympathy for Arachne, but put it aside and asked, "So why am I here, Arachne? Were you the spider that bit me?" Arachne immediately lit up with excitement and said, _Yes, it was I who blessed you with my bite!_ Pavitr looked puzzled for a minute and said, "Never heard that one before, but go on." Arachne swung herself around the web and continued, _I have chosen you, Pavitr Prabhakar, to be my savior! To take my gifts out into the world and end this idiotic war that the Fire Nation has wrought upon the land!_ Pavitr was even more shocked by what he heard; Arachne, the spider spirit, was telling him that she had chosen him, by biting him, to have her powers and to stop the Hundred-Year-War? This was all too much for the teenager to take in and he promptly fainted; Arachne looked at her chosen one with embarrassment and said, _Oops. Oh, well. I'll give him some time to think about it._

* * *

 **Next Time: Bouncing off the Walls**


	4. Bouncing Off The Walls

After taking him to the healer's, Uncle Bhim and Aunt Maya brought their nephew home; the healer determined that it was just an allergic reaction to the spider's bite. However, what followed this morning was something that nobody expected; it was, dare I say, amazing! Pavitr opened his eyes expecting to the ceiling of his room and see it he did, but right in front of his face! Looking down with horror, Pavitr saw that he was attached to the ceiling and looking down on his bed from a few feet off the ground. He let out a scream and fell onto his bed, bouncing onto the floor after he landed. _What was that?_ , Pavitr thought to himself, _Was I sticking to the ceiling?_

Pavitr stared down at his hands and realized he didn't need his glasses to see anymore. Just to make sure, he reached for them on his dresser and put them on; his vision was blurrier with them on then they had been yesterday. All Pavitr said was, "Weird.", before placing his now useless spectacles on the dresser and walking to the closet to dress for the day. On his way there, however, he noticed a strange sight in the mirror. The head on the person in the mirror was definitely Pavitr's, but the body looked like it belonged to someone who worked out every single day. Where once a scrawny weakling stood, now a muscular stranger took that place. Pavitr gaped at his reflection before doing several poses that showed off his new muscles, as well as touching them to make sure they were real.

"Pavitr!", called his aunt from downstairs, "Are you alright?" Pavitr ceased his examination and replied, "I'm fine, Aunt Maya!", before going back to examining himself. "Well, do you feel better from yesterday? Any change?", she continued, to which Pavitr replied, "Change? Yep. Big change." Soon Uncle Bhim joined in with, "Well hurry up there, kiddo! It's time for breakfast!" Not wanting to keep his aunt and uncle waiting anymore, Pavitr threw on his clothes, which today consisted of loose pants, sandals, and an open vest. He chose the vest to show off his new physique to Lipika; if this didn't make her like him, nothing would. Pavitr slid down the banister of the stairs and plopped safely onto the downstairs floor. To say Aunt Maya and Uncle Bhim were shocked to see their nephew up and well would be an understatement. "Spirits!", scoffed Uncle Bhim, "I thought you were sick!"

Pavitr just shrugged and answered, "I guess I got better." Aunt Maya and Uncle Bhim looked at each other for a moment before Aunt Maya said, "Let me see your hand." Pavitr did as she asked, pointing to the spot where the spider had bit him yesterday. Aunt Maya worked as a nurse at the medical center, so she was experienced with such majtters. It would seem that the bite had healed overnight and the swelling had gone down; Aunt Maya said, "Alright, love. There isn't any signs of infection, or swelling, and you seem to be functioning properly. Have some komodo sausages and lychee juice before you go. They're high in protein and anti-oxidants."

Pavitr rolled his eyes at his aunt's health facts and said, "Alright, but only because you asked so nicely." Being that he was in a hurry, Pavitr shoveled in his food and sped out the door as fast as he could. Next door, Meera Jain skipped out after wishing her family goodbye and met up with her best friend, not expecting him to be up and moving given the events of yesterday. "Hey, Pav. I didn't expect to see you this morning. Are you sure you're alright?" Pavitr smirked to himself and answered, "Just peachy, MJ. You might even say I woke up bouncing off the walls."

* * *

Pavitr and Meera Jain arrived to their morning classes in no time at all. After listening to a boring lecture about how the Air Nomads were defeated by the supposedly superior might of the Fire Nation, it was time for lunch. The school chefs could make anything the students wanted; on this particular day, Pavitr asked for roast duck, fish filet, komodo sausages (even though he had them for breakfast), and several fruit pies. Needless to say, Meera Jain was surprised that Pavitr could eat so much. And was it just her, or did he look bigger that he used to? "Pav, you want to slow down a bit?", she asked, "Free period isn't over yet. You'll give yourself indigestion."

Pavitr looked up from his meal and replied, "Can't talk. Must eat.", before getting right back into it. Meera Jain made a grimace of disgust at her friend's behavior and proceeded to walk back to the lineup for a drink of water. What she didn't realize, was that there was a massive puddle of lychee juice on the floor and she was due to step in it and probably slip and fall. All of sudden, Pavitr felt a tingling sensation in the back of his skull and he soon found himself leaping over the tables and he slid in behind her, grabbing her waist to stop her from falling.

Meera Jain's breath caught in her throat at her accidental slip up, but the last thing she expected was to see her best friend standing over her. What surprised her even more was the fact that Pavitr, who had never had a history of athletic inclination, had just vaulted over a bunch of tables and caught her from falling with seemingly no effort whatsoever. "Pav, how did you that?", Meera Jain asked, but all Pavitr could say was, "I have no idea, MJ. I have no idea."

* * *

 **Next Time: The First Web**


	5. The First Web

Pavitr quickly made his way to his locker, his head still reeling from the previous events. First, he had woken up sticking to the ceiling of his room, then he had some sort of sensation that warned him to save his friend from slipping. Speaking of which, the sensation came back again and he instinctively moved out of the way, narrowly dodging a fist flung by Falak Thaman. Pavitr swiveled behind his would-be assailant and came face to face with the sneering visage of the bane of his existence. "Guess what time it is, Prabhakar.", asked Falak mockingly, to which Pavitr replied cheekily, "Half-past two?" Falak let out a loud and obnoxious, "Ennnhh! Wrong! It's locker knocker time!" Pavitr flinched when he heard that; "locker knocker time" had been a weekly tradition between him and Falak since they were in elementary school. The long in the short of it was that it involved Pavitr basically being stuffed into a locker and being hit within said locker until his head stopped pounding.

But today was a new day. The day that Pavitr Prabhakar getting his butt kicked by Falak Thaman would be officially done. Falak reached to grab Pavitr, but the tingling sensation warned him to grab Falak's arm and twist it behind him. Next, Pavitr gave him a swift kick to the rear that sent him falling on his face. "I really don't feel like fighting you, Falak.", pleaded Pavitr, but Falak would hear none of it and charged at him. Pavitr was once again warned of the oncoming assault, but this time chose to roll across Falak's back to get behind him. Meera Jain arrived just in time to witness the brawl going down between the two of them and was quick to get in the way. "Falak, stop it!", she yelled, but the brute was deaf to everything except his own rage. So much so, that he actually shoved Meera Jain out of the way causing her to fall to the floor hard. That pushed Pavitr over the edge and he sent his fist flying into Falak's jaw; a sickening snap could be heard as Falak was sent flying down the hall. He skittered to a stop and clutched his jaw, howling in agony. It was clear that his jaw was broken and Pavitr's punch was the one that caused it; as for Pavitr himself he was both amazed and horrified at his sudden show of strength. Meera Jain looked at him with a mixture of concern and fear. Feeling like he was backed into a corner, Pavitr ran outside to try and figure out what was happening to him. The eyes of everyone else followed him as he went.

* * *

Pavitr's heart was racing as he ran as far away from the school as possible. This whole day had been one weird situation after another and Pavitr had the feeling it wasn't a coincidence. Never before had he exhibited such strength against Falak before or the ability to stick to walls. They had to be connected somehow; come to think of it, all this craziness had begun when he woke up clinging to the ceiling of his bedroom. Pavitr inspected his hands and came across a great shock. With his improved vision, Pavitr could see tiny hairs forming along his fingertips. He knew from zoology scrolls that these were called "setules" which gave spiders their climbing abilities. _This can't be all just one big coincidence.,_ Pavitr thought to himself, _The spider bite, that dream with Arachne, all of this has to have some kind of reason behind it. Maybe the spider bite is what's making me do these spectacular things? That's got to be it! Arachne said she wanted a champion, so maybe that was her. Maybe_ _biting me was her giving me her powers!_

Pavitr looked from his one of his hands to the wall behind him and placed it on a brick. As he suspected it stuck, so he added his other hand which also stuck. Then he added his feet and before he knew it, Pavitr had attached himself to the wall of the alley. Feeling a swell of confidence within him, Pavitr started to crawl up the wall and scaled it all the way up to the roof. Pavitr then decided to test how high and how far he could jump, running towards the edge of the building. He leaped off and sailed a good few meters into the air towards the next one. Not satisfied with merely leaping from rooftop to rooftop, Pavitr threw in a few acrobatic twists and turns as well. He then pulled up short on one roof. He could see that it was too far for him to reach, even with his newfound agility. The empowered teen looked down at his wrist, remembering the narrow slits in them. _I can climb walls like a spider.,_ thought Pavitr, _Maybe I can spin webs like one too._

With a look of determination, he thrust out his hand and cried, "GO WEB!", but nothing come of it. Wiggling his wrist, he again tried to get the web to spray out. But it didn't come. He made a fist. Nothing. He closed his thumb and little finger together. Nothing. Finally, just as he was about to give up, he lazily rotated his hand so the palm faced up, extended all five fingers, and brought his ring and middle fingers toward his palm, together. And, just like that, webbing shot out of his wrist and stuck to a lamppost. Pavitr kept a firm grip on the web line and looked down at the yawning chasm before him, his instincts urging him to swing across. He gritted his teeth, closed his eyes, and said, "One for the money. Two for the show. Three...uh...because it comes before four. And here I GOOOOO!" Pavitr swung down from his perch, kicking and screaming as he went. Unfortunately, there where no brakes on this ride and he promptly slammed into a wall. Picking himself up and clutching his side in pain, Pavitr thought, _Not bad for a first swing._

* * *

 **Next Time: Balancing Act**


	6. Balancing Act

"How exactly did you hurt yourself, dear?", asked Aunt Maya as she rubbed some healing balm into her nephew's side. Pavitr winced in pain and replied, "Falak and his gang jumped me again." It wasn't a complete lie that Pavitr told, just a convenient ruse. He didn't want to tell Aunt Maya and Uncle Bonzu about the fight he had with Falak or the discovery of his newfound powers. Luckily, his sore side provided cover up for his first attempt at web-swinging. Uncle Bonzu sighed, shook his head, and stated, "You know, this really irritates me. I've worked hard to give my family a good life, and I know that Pavitr works hard to be successful in school, and yet he's punished for it by that Falak Thaman. All that little punk's accomplished in his life is beating on kids for their lunch yuans." It was no secret that the Thaman family had their share of problems; the father was considered the laughing stock of the community for his ludicrous attempts to get into the Fire Nation parliament. As a result of this, Falak had been been tormented relentlessly in his youth by the bullies at school. This in turn made Falak into a bully himself and Pavitr his number one punching bag.

Pavitr did feel sorry for how Falak turned out, but he did feel that Falak let too much of his past define who he is now. Pavitr shook those thoughts out of his head and turned his attention on to what to do with his newfound spider powers. _I can't just sit around the house with them._ , Pavitr inner monologued to himself, _There has to be something I can do with these powers. Something great._ Suddenly, Pavitr's thoughts were interrupted by a knock outside and a cry of, "Mail call! Mail call!" In came Stan the Postman, who said, "Evening, Prabhakars! Just thought I'd drop by for one last load of mail before I turn in for the night." Uncle Bonzu came over to take the post from Stan and said, "Thank you kindly, Stan. You have yourself a good night." Stan chuckled and replied, "Too you as well, Bonzu. Excelsior!" And with that, Stan left the Prabhakar house and made his way home. Aunt Maya adopted a look of puzzlement and asked, "Excelsior?", to which Uncle Bonzu replied, "That's just how Stan is, Maya. Pavitr, would you mind bringing the mail to the kitchen table?" Pavitr nodded and took the mail from his uncle; as he walked into the kitchen however, he noticed an advertisement sticking out of the top of the stack. _Shuzumu's Flaming Circus._ , Pavitr read, _Most popular entertainment for Fire Nation families. Includes such spectacular acts as rope walkers, acrobats, and plate jugglers. Also features the largest collection of rare and exotic animals in the Fire Nation. New acrobats are a must. Weekly payment of 50 gold pieces per show. Next performance will be held in Dit-Koh Village._

Pavitr's eyes lit up when he read that part of the advertisement. _Dit-Koh Village? That's not far from the island! And 50 gold pieces per show? That's a lot of money!_ , Pavitr said to himself. He then slinked up to his room, closed the door, and looked at the advertisement again. _With that kind of money I could start my own business! Buy a never-ending supply of bubble soap! Rent a small island to fish from on weekends!_ Pavitr sighed and looked at the door, where he could hear his aunt and uncle having a conversation together. _Or I could use it to pay back Uncle Bonzu and Aunt Maya for all the years they've taken care of me. Yeah, that's what I'll do. I'll sneak out later tonight and catch the next ferry to the mainland._

* * *

Pavitr had slipped out of the house while Uncle Bonzu and Aunt Maya were asleep, taking great care not to wake them. _Although with Uncle Bonzu's snoring, I could have marched out of there blowing a tsungi horn._ , Pavitr mused to himself as the ferry made it's way across the bay. Along the way, Pavitr had seen an uncommon sight. A massive column of light had erupted from the distance many miles away. "I wonder what that light was all about?", Pavitr asked himself out loud, "Whatever it was, it was powerful enough to set off my spider sense. Spider sense? Hmm, I like that. I'll keep it." Over the hill, Pavitr saw a massive tent that was being put up by several large men. Acrobats were warming up for the evening performance and animal trainers were leading beasts to their pens. Pavitr was so amazed by all the activity around him that he didn't hear a young female voice cry, "LOOK OUT!" The first thing Pavitr felt was a dainty foot colliding with his face which sent him into a topspin backwards where his head then impacted with something soft and yet firm too. The smell coming from it was intoxicating as well, so Pavitr rubbed his nose further into it savoring the sensations.

A throat being cleared brought Pavitr out of his daze as he looked and came nose to nose with a blushing teenage girl. Pavitr then looked down and saw that the thing he had landed on was her toned stomach. He immediately jolted back, falling off the girl, and stuttering, "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry! Here, let me help you!" He held out his hand for her to take, which she did, before gaining an devious smirk and sending Pavitr rolling back onto the ground. She planted herself firmly on his chest and said, "Now we're even. What's your name, cutie?" Pavitr had never gotten this close to a girl before, so he squeaked out, "Pavitr. Pavitr Prabhakar." The girl giggled at his shyness and said, "Ty Lee." She then got up and offered him her hand, which he took. She pulled him up and asked, "So what brings you to the circus, Mr. Prabhakar?" Pavitr pulled out the advertisement, which was tucked into the waistband of his pants, and showed it to her. "I'm here for the acrobat auditions.", he explained, to which Ty Lee looked him up and down and said, "Not like that you're not. Didn't you read the small print on the advertisement?" Pavitr held it up to look at it again, squinted his eyes, and sure enough, there it was. In very small print was written, _Colorful costumes encouraged_ , and Pavitr let out a groan of disappointment and asked, "Does this mean I can't audition for the circus?"

Ty Lee smiled kindly at him and said, "Don't you worry, my new friend. Lucky for you, I, Ty Lee, the greatest acrobat in the world, am the one in charge of the new acrobat auditions. Before we do anything though, we need to find the right look for you. Follow me this way to the costume tent. We'll find you a good wardrobe." However, before she could lead him to do so, Pavitr grabbed her hand and said, "Wait! I want to show you what I can do first. Maybe that will give you some ideas for a look." Quick as a flash, Pavitr back flipped onto a nearby tree and stuck to it. Next, he shot a web-line onto one of the circus tent flagpoles and stuck the other end to a branch. Pavitr ran across the web-line like a tightrope to the flagpole and stood on it by the tips of his toes in a crouch. Then he shot two webs at two buildings and used them to catapult himself back to the spot where Ty Lee stood. Once he landed, he asked, "Can you handle a contender?" Ty Lee just stood there, jaw dropped and unable to make of the amazing spectacle she had just witnessed.

* * *

 **Next Time: Clothes Make the Spider**


	7. Clothes Make The Spider

"That was amazing! That was spectacular! That was sensational! That was...um...superior!", exclaimed Ty Lee after she witnessed Pavitr's display of his powers. "Superior?", asked Pavitr, to which Ty Lee replied, "I don't know. But you got to admit, what you just did was pretty amazing." The pink clad girl was currently buried in a closet full of clothing, searching through shelves of clothes for Pavitr's new look. Once she found something, she took it off the shelf and handed it to Pavitr while saying, "Put this on!" He went behind a nearby folding screen and slipped into the costume that Ty Lee gave him. "So how exactly can you do the things that you just did?", asked Ty Lee, to which Pavitr poked his head out from behind the screen and replied, "You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Ty Lee looked puzzled for a moment and replied, "Try me." Pavitr came out from behind the screen wearing a garish blue and black body suit with a bag mask on his head. Ty Lee tried to stifle her laughter, but Pavitr heard it come out and asked, "What?" Ty Lee shook her head and pointed at a nearby mirror, which Pavitr looked into and saw his appearance. He gave a very unmanly shriek and jumped into the air, landing on one of the tent's support beams. He then landed back down on the floor and stated, "No. Just no."

With a look of mischief, Ty Lee said, "Oh, I don't know. I think people would love to see the exploits of the Bombastic Bag-Man." Pavitr shook his head fiercely and shucked the horrid costume off. Ty Lee gasped when she saw Pavitr's muscular physique exposed and thought, _Oh sweet Fire Lord! He's a god! Okay, calm down, Ty Lee. Don't scare him away like that boy in Omashu._ To distract herself, she went back to looking for another costume on the shelves. She pulled out another one and asked, "How about this one?" Pavitr quickly grabbed it, went behind the changing screen again, then he came out and Ty Lee was amazed by what she saw. Ty Lee squealed in delight and said, "It's perfect! Come look at it in the mirror!" Pavitr did as she said and was shocked by what he saw as well. This costume had a style to it like those worn by warriors that relied on stealth to carry out assassination missions. But the colors on this one made Pavitr stick out like a sore thumb; instead of black, the colors were bright red and blue. The hood-mask combination had triangular eye holes that allowed Pavitr to see out of them. "Hmm.", Pavitr said, "This could work. I would like to make some modifications though." Ty Lee tilted her head quizzically and asked, "Modifications? Like what?"

"Well, I was thinking of some web patterns on the red parts.", Pavitr answered, "And maybe a spider symbol on the front and back. You know, to emphasize what my powers are. I don't want people thinking I'm the Amazing Fly-Man." Ty Lee grimaced and replied, "Yeah, that name's just not you. You're more like a Spider-Man." Pavitr's eyes lit up as soon as Ty Lee said those words and he asked, "Could you say that again?" Ty Lee wasn't quite sure what he meant, but she tried to answer him with, "You're more like a Spider-Man?" Pavitr pulled off his mask, revealing an ear-to-ear smile, and said, "YES! It's brilliant! The Amazing Spider-Man! I love it! Thanks, Ty Lee!" Before Ty Lee knew it, she was locked in an embrace from Pavitr's strong arms. The girl was trying her best to hold down her blush as she screamed mentally, _He's hugging me! I'm gonna pass out from all this embarrassment!_ Pavitr too realized how intimate he was being with the girl he just met and he recoiled back in panic. "Sorry about that.", he apologized, "So you said you wanted to know how I got my powers, right?"

Ty Lee nodded excitedly before doing a backflip and setting up a table and two cushions for them to set on. They took their seats and Ty Lee rested her head on her hands, saying, "Lay it on me, Spider-Man." And so Pavitr proceeded to tell her about his life on Spider Island, his Aunt Maya and Uncle Bonzu, Arachne, and the spider that bit him. Ty Lee listened very attentively to what he had to say and when Pavitr was done, she said, "Wow. That's quite a story." He nodded and replied, "Yeah, I guess it is. So can I ask you a question now?" Ty Lee nodded affirmative, so Pavitr continued, "What's your story, Ty Lee? How did you end up in the circus?" Ty Lee's normally bubbly look dissolved into a melancholy one as she answered, "My home life wasn't exactly the greatest. I was born into a Fire Nation noble family with six identical sisters." Pavitr was shocked by Ty Lee's declaration of that and replied, "Wow, that's cool." Suddenly, Ty Lee angrily slammed her fist on the table and yelled, "It wasn't cool! Do you have any idea what it was like growing up with six sisters who looked exactly like me, Pavitr?! It was like I didn't even have my own name!" Ty Lee then began to cry, tears rolling down her soft cheeks, as she continued, "I joined the circus because I was so scared of spending the rest of my life as part of a matched set!"

Pavitr wasn't sure why, but seeing Ty Lee cry made him feel guilty. He once again brought her in for an embrace and whispered, "I'm sorry, Ty Lee. I didn't mean to upset you. I shouldn't have asked." Ty Lee dried her eyes and said, "No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you." For a moment, the two teenagers locked eyes and were about to lean in further, but Pavitr noticed that the Sun was beginning to rise. Pavitr pushed Ty Lee back and said, "It's almost morning! I better get going before Uncle Bhim and Aunt Maya wake up and notice that I'm gone!" Quick as a flash, he jumped outside one of the costume tent's open flaps and shot a webline to swing back to Spider Island. Ty Lee was left alone in the tent and wondering, _Will I ever see Pavitr Prabhakar again?_

* * *

 **Next Time: Comes Great Responsibility**


	8. Comes Great Responsibility

Screams of terror awoke Uncle Bhim and Aunt Maya from their sleeps. "Stay here, Maya!", shouted Uncle Bhim as he rushed downstairs to see what was going on. Bursting through the front door, he saw that the village was in flames and neighbors were being attacked by assailants dressed in black. Upon closer inspection, Uncle Bhim noticed that the invaders were mostly children and teenagers. Nevertheless, he wasn't about to let his community by burned to the ground by a bunch of radical miscreants.

So, with surprising speed for a man of fifty-five, he barreled into one of the punks, a big one, and sending him toppling to the ground. His constituents surrounded him to help him up and one of them asked, "You alright, Pipsqueak?" Pipsqueak answered the one who asked, a girl who looked like a boy, with, "Yeah, Smellerbee. But this old guy just jumped me." Smellerbee glared at Uncle Bhim, pulled out her daggers and said, "You're going to get it now, old man."

"Why are you doing this?" asked Uncle Bhim, "Kids your age should be running around and playing. Not attacking people" Smellerbee shot back with, "We would be, if the Fire Nation hadn't destroyed our homes and killed our families! This is payback! Courtesy of the Freedom Fighters!" Uncle Bhim nodded for a moment and replied, "And you think that attacking our village is going to take that pain away? Well I've got news for you, kids. It won't."

The Freedom Fighters were surprised by what he said, but they didn't lower their weapons. "You kids are better than this.", he continued, "Revenge isn't power. Anyone can take a life. But to live a life, that's what really matters." Some of them started to lower their weapons, as they listened to Uncle Bhim's speech. But before he could continue, he let out a, "Hukk!", and stumbled forward to reveal a knife sticking out of his back. One of the Freedom Fighters had stabbed him and it was none other than the Freedom Fighters' leader: a boy named Jet.

The founder of the Freedom Fighters, like so many members, Jet had lost his home and family to the Fire Nation. This instilled a burning hatred in him and a determination to destroy them...by any means necessary. He had just exercised those means by taking Uncle Bhim's life. As he crumpled to the ground, Jet gave him a cruel sneer and said, "That shut him up."

Some of the Freedom Fighters were shocked by Jet's action; some of them felt his behavior had become really unbalanced as of late. But no one held him accountable for it. Whether out of respect or fear, they weren't sure. "I think we've given our message to the ashmakers of Spider Island.", said Jet, "Now let's get out of here." With that, the Freedom Fighters took off into the woods and left Uncle Bhim to die.

Aunt Maya came out of the house, saw her husband lying on the ground and bleeding, and rushed to his side. As the neighbors gathered around them, Aunt Maya held her dead husband in her arms and sobbed. The only thing that was on her mind, other than her dying husband, was one question: _Where are you, Pavitr?_

* * *

Meanwhile, Pavitr had just gotten off the ferry on the opposite side of the island. He felt very warm and fuzzy inside, no doubt due to his almost sharing a kiss with Ty Lee, and had made an important decision. To tell Uncle Bhim and Aunt Maya about his powers and inform them of his decision to join the circus and perform with Ty Lee. He hoped they would understand why; it was so that he could pay them back for all the years of taking care of him

When he got back, however, he was greeted with the sight of many of the residents of Spider Island huddled around the open field. He heard something that sounded like Aunt Maya crying. He ran into the crowd, pushing past people on his way in, and finally coming across a sight that he hoped he never would: Aunt Maya holding Uncle Bhim's dying body. Pavitr immediately rushed to his uncle's side and held his hand. Uncle Bhim's eyes weakly opened and he asked, "P-P-Pavitr? M-M-Maya? A-A-Are you two alright?"

Aunt Maya tearfully replied, "Yes, Bhim. We're fine. Don't talk now, sweetheart. The healers are on their way." Uncle Bhim turned his gaze to Pavitr and said, "C-C-Come closer, son." Pavitr did as he was asked, Uncle Bhim put his mouth to Pavitr's ear and whispered something that the youth would never forget. "W-W-With great p-p-power, c-c-comes great r-r-responsibility.", coughed Uncle Bhim, before he finally succumbed to his wounds and died.

"Uncle Bhim?", Pavitr desperately asked. But it was no use, for the man who had been like a father to him was gone. Sadness was soon replaced with rage as Pavitr asked, "Where did they go?" Meera Jain tried to comfort Pavitr, but he asked again, louder, "WHERE DID THEY GO?!" Taken aback by his vengeful outburst, she pointed towards the woods. Quick as a flash, Pavitr tore off into that direction, leaving his aunt, best friend and dead uncle. Unbeknownst to them, however, Pavitr was slipping off his clothes as he went, revealing his Spider-Man costume. _I'll get them._ , Pavitr thought angrily, _I'll get them all._

* * *

 **Next Time: Confrontation**


	9. Confrontation

Some of the Freedom Fighters were still shaken up after watching Jet murder Uncle Bhim in cold blood. Jet, on the other hand, was proud of what he'd done. Ashmaker got what was coming to him, Jet had said as he led his group to the ferry that took people off of Spider Island. Of course, some would say Jet's hatred of anyone from the Fire Nation was understandable. When Jet was only eight years old, he witnessed his parents' deaths at the hands of the Fire Nation armada known as the Rough Rhinos. That tragedy molded Jet into an angry and vengeful hook sword-wielding vigilante, who believed in going to extreme lengths to exact his revenge, even to the point of endangering innocent lives. As far as Jet was concerned, however, anyone who was even associated with the Fire Nation were scum and deserved punishment. Little did Jet know that he was about to pay a heavy price for killing that old man; from the darkened trees, an angry pair of eyes, hidden behind a red mask, watched the Freedom Fighters make their way towards the ferry.

Pavitr had finally caught up with Jet and his gang of terrorists, prepared to dish out justice. Of course, Pavitr's version of justice at the moment constituted more along the lines of vengeance, but he was too angry to care. Uncle Bhim was the closest thing he had to a father and now he was gone. Gone for no reason other than the fact that he was from the Fire Nation. To Pavitr, this didn't justify killing anyone and he was going to make the Freedom Fighters, especially Jet, pay. Using the shadows of the forest for cover, he shot several weblines at the Freedom Fighters and hoisted them into the trees. He then proceeded to web their mouths shut to prevent them from yelling for help. It didn't take Jet long to realize his gang wasn't following him anymore and he had the feeling he was being watched. "Smellerbee?", he asked, "Longshot? Pipsqueak? Sneers? Duke? Where are you guys?" Pavitr's voice angrily spoke out from the shadows, "I'm afraid your friends are a little tied up at the moment. Don't worry, they're fine. I'd be more worried about what's going to happen to you."

Jet smugly sneered at Pavitr's proclamation, took out his hook swords and said, "If you think I'm scared of you, ashmaker, you've got another thing coming." However, Jet was surprised to hear Pavitr say back, "So that's it, huh? Just because we're a Fire Nation colony, that automatically makes us all firebenders? You judge all of us based on the actions of those on the mainland? Well, you want to know what I see when I look at you?" Jet thought he saw a shadow slinking through the trees, so he ran towards it, then up it, and took a swing at whatever he thought was there. However, Jet soon saw that the shape had vanished, which made him start to feel nervous. Little did he realize that his stalker was hanging upside down behind him on a line of webbing. Jet's turning around prompted Pavitr to spin himself back into hiding, which caused Jet to yell out, "WHERE ARE YOU?!" Finally, Pavitr decided to reveal himself to his uncle's killer and said, "I'm right here, murderer!"

Jet turned around and saw a person dressed in a red and blue costume sticking to the trunk of a tree. Though he couldn't see any emotion through the interloper's mask, Jet could feel the anger coming off of this individual. Pavitr threw himself at the leader of the Freedom Fighters and landed a swift kick right to his face. Thrown off balance, Jet tried to attack with his hook swords, but before he could land a swing, Pavitr shot two weblines at Jet's hook swords and pulled them out of his grasp. Landing a punch into Jet's chin that sent him flying backwards, Pavitr then lunged forward and pushed Jet into a tree, effectively pinning him there. The terrified Jet fearfully begged, "Please! Don't hurt me! Just give me a chance!", to which Pavitr angrily replied, "What about the old man?! Did you give him a chance?! DID YOU?!"

He reared back his fist in preparation to beat the life out of Jet, but then he stopped. It was as if he couldn't move his body; like he was being restrained by an invisible force. Looking behind him, out of the corner of his eye, Pavitr saw Uncle Bhim standing there with a look of disapprovement on his face. The specter shook its head, as if to say, _Don't do it, Pavitr._ The spider-powered youth looked back at Jet's frightened face and thought to himself, _If I do this, I'll be no better than you are._ Pavitr proceeded to drop Jet on the ground and heard the sound of the other Freedom Fighters approaching. They had broken out of their webs and had now come back to aid their leader. Jet's ego came back full force and he asked, "What's the matter, freak? Too afraid to take a life?" Pavitr looked down at Jet and said, "That would be the easy way out. You don't deserve it." Turning to look at the other Freedom Fighters, he continued, "The rest of you, take your boss, get on the ferry and don't ever come back to my island. Now! Move it!"

The Freedom Fighters did as they were told and climbed aboard, Pipsqueak carrying Jet in his gigantic arms. Once the ferry had sailed out of sight, the stress of the ordeal caught up to Pavitr and he fell to his knees sobbing. He pulled off his mask to let his tears flow freely as he thought to himself, _My fault. All of this was my fault. If only I had been here to stop those punks, this wouldn't have happened. But I didn't. And now Uncle Bhim is dead. And I'm really the one who killed him. Because I didn't understand that with great power comes great responsibility. Now I do. I now know why Arachne gave me these powers. To save innocent people from the forces of evil. To be a hero! Spider Island is safe for now, but there's other places that need someone like me. And they'll get me. Look out, everyone, Spider-Man's coming!_ Pavitr now stood tall and proud as the sun rose on a brand new day.

* * *

 **Next Time: Nalin Oberoi**


	10. Nalin Oberoi

Ba Sing Se was the capital city and considered to be the center of industry of the Earth Kingdom. With its impenterable walls and constant network of roadways, Ba Sing Se had earned a reputation as "the city that never sleeps". One of these sleepless citizens was Nalin Oberoi, an industrialist and one of the richest men in the Earth Kingdom. A self-made man, his company, dubbed by him as Obcorp, specialized in military contracts that encouraged the development of weapons for warfare. And what better war was there to capitalize on then the that lasted for a hundred years? However, despite his brilliance, Nalin was a ruthlessly amoral businessman who was more concerned with power than profits.

With this mentality, Nalin decided to extend his services not to the Earth Kingdom, but to the nation that he considered the most powerful at the moment: the Fire Nation. From his secret laboratory located beneath the Obcorp facility, dubbed "Special Projects", Nalin worked diligently to provide the Fire Nation with armaments that would assist in ending the war sooner. Most of the weapons that he, and his team of scientists and technicians, had developed were capable of enhancing a Fire Nation soldier's natural firebending abilities.

For instance, there was a type of explosive device in development that required a charge of firebending from the thumbs into the reciever stems in order to activate. When thrown, it created a deadly explosive blast that covered a wide radius, as well as emitting a shriek-like sound. Due to its peculiar design, the team in charge of it had affectionately dubbed the weapon a "pumpkin bomb". Another project in development was the creation of a kind of glider that was powered by the channeling of firebending into the feet. A special flight suit was also developed, in order to control the movement of the glider.

In fact, the glider was being displayed at this very moment to an audience of very anxious militants. Though none were more anxious than the head of the committee, Commander Zhao, who had come to hear an update on an experiment dubbed the "Green Project". It was an attempt to create what Nalin had called a "game changer". It was nicknamed "OZ", a performance enhancing chemical formula that would bring a person's physical capabilities to the peak of human physical perfection. OZ was specifically tailored to enhance an individual's strength, speed and intelligence.

Unfortunately, the formula had unforseen side effects, which was why Nalin's chief scientist, Serena Patel, had asked for this meeting to explain why. At the moment, Serena was stalling for time by once again displaying the glider and the modifications recently made to it. "As you can see, Commander, we've solved the horizon glide and the balance issues.", Serena explained, to which an unimpressed Zhao replied, "I've already seen the glider, Patel. That's not what I'm here for." As if on cue, Nalin walked into the laboratory and greeted Zhao with, "Commander Zhao, it's good to see you again. What brings you to our humble laboratory?"

Zhao nodded and replied, "I'm here on behalf of Fire Lord Ozai. He wishes to hear a progress report on the Green Project." Without missing a beat, Serena stepped between the two of them and said, "If I may, Commander Zhao, it is my professional opinion that we are nearly there. Our most recent trials involved inhalation of OZ in vaporous form with elephant rat test subjects. They showed an eight-hundred percent increase in strength. Additionally, their intellectual capacity increased beyond measurable limits and tactical knowledge became nearly instantaneous."

Zhao, pleased to hear this, replied, "Excellent. Any side effects?" Serena's face took on a look of apprehension as she explained, "In one trial, yes." Before Serena could continue, however, Nalin, not wanting to compromise their funding, interjected with, "It was an aberration. All the tests since then have been successful." The commander knew Nalin was trying to save face, so he pressed on by asking, "And in the trial that went wrong, what happened? What were the side effects?" Nalin and Serena shared a look before the latter answered, "The side effects included a propensity towards violence, amplified aggression, severe hallucinations and mental breakdown bordering on insanity."

Zhao exhaled sharply upon hearing the side effects of the formula and said, "Well, we can't have our troops showing signs of weakness on the battlefield, can we? What do you recommend, Professor Patel?" Before Serena could answer, however, Nalin interrupted with, "That was only one test. With the exception of Professor Patel, our entire staff feels confident that OZ is ready for human testing." Zhao looked unconvinced by Nalin's assurance and repeated, "Professor Patel?" Serena wrung her hands nervously as she replied, "I think we need to take OZ back to formula." Zhao shook his head in disappointment; his faith in the Green Project was shaken more and more with every excuse.

"Oberoi, I'm going to be frank.", the commander stated, "I never supported the Green Project. Trying to replicate a process developed by Water Tribe savages to create the ultimate soldier seventy years ago through science was a fool's gamble right from the start, in my view. But the Fire Lord seems to think it has potential. And I think after five years of research and development, the Fire Nation army has the right to expect field results. Either you get this project back on track or I will make it my personal mission to ruin you and your company." Nalin let out a growl of rage and said, "You wouldn't dare!" Zhao gave a smirk of malice and replied, "You're already a traitor to your nation, Oberoi. How much lower is there to sink?"

With that, Zhao took his leave. Serena was unsure of what to do now, but Nalin had already made his decision. It was time to test OZ...on himself.

* * *

 **Next Time: The Spider Crawls Away**


	11. The Spider Crawls Away

Pavitr and Aunt Maya had stayed with each other to watch the sunrise. She had followed him after he ran off and discovered him in a strange red and blue costume staring at the rising Sun. The two of them had fallen asleep holding each other and were awakened by brightness of mid-morning. Pavitr slowly opened his eyes and yawned. Looking next to him, he saw his aunt next to him, still asleep. He nudged her shoulder, stirring her out of her slumber, and said, "Aunt Maya? Are you okay?"

She let out a sigh of sadness and replied, "I'm not sure, sweetheart. Are you alright?" Pavitr wasn't sure how to answer that. His home just been attacked by a group of Fire Nation hating radicals and he had let his uncle's killer leave Spider Island. Pavitr started to cry again as he said, "I let him down, Aunt Maya! I should have been here! I could have saved him!" It pained Aunt Maya to see her nephew blaming himself for what happened to Uncle Bhim. "There was nothing you or I could have done, Pavitr.", Aunt Maya said comfortingly, "Your uncle did what he thought was right for all of us."

This didn't seem to affect Pavitr much as he continued, "But I could have protected everyone! I have the power!" Aunt Maya held her nephew's face in her hands and said, "You did protect us, Pavitr. You chased off those thugs and stopped them from causing more damage to our village. You're a hero, sweetheart." Pavitr pulled out of her grasp and replied, "I don't feel very heroic. Heroes don't sneak out at night to make money." Aunt Maya adopted a look of confusion and asked,

"What do you mean, Pavitr?" The spider-powered youth let out a sigh and asked, "Remember that advertisement we got in the mail for Shuzumu's Flaming Circus?" Aunt Maya nodded and Pavitr continued, "It said that they were looking for new acrobats and would pay fifty gold pieces per show. The next performance was in Dit-Koh Village and I went there to audition. I wanted to make the money so that I could pay back you and Uncle Bhim for all the years you spent taking care of me."

Aunt Maya certainly didn't expect her nephew to admit all this. "Is that what you think, Pavitr?", she asked, "That your uncle and I took care of you because we expected something in return?" Pavitr's downcast look was answer enough, so she continued, "Well let me tell you something, Mr. Prabhakar. Your Uncle Bhim and I took you in when your parents died because we love you. As far as I'm concerned, you're our boy and nothing's going to change that." That was all it took for Pavitr to run back into Aunt Maya's arms. As the two embraced again, Pavitr asked, "What do I now, Aunt Maya?" Her answer was one simple word.

"Leave.", she said. Pavitr looked at her with surprise and she elaborated, "Go out into the world. Use your gifts to help those that need it. Be the hero I know you can be." Pavitr gave her a look of hesitation and was about to protest. However, Aunt Maya interrupted with, "Before you say anything, just listen. There's too few people out there like that, you know. Flying around and saving the day. And spirits knows, people these days need a hero. Courageous people willing to lay their lives down on the line for their fellow man. Setting examples for us all. Everybody loves a hero. People line up for them, cheer them, scream their names. And years later, they'll tell how they stood in the rain for hours just to get a glimpse of the one who taught them to hold on. I believe there's a hero in all of us. That keeps us honest, gives us strength, makes us noble, and finally allows us to die with pride. You're one of these people, Pavitr."

Aunt Maya's speech reminded Pavitr of what Arachne had told him in his dream. I have chosen you, Pavitr Prabhakar, to be my savior! To take my gifts out into the world and end this idiotic war that the Fire Nation has wrought upon the land!, she had said. But was it a dream?, Pavitr thought to himself, Or was I actually in the Spirit World? Pavitr asked, "Would you believe me if I told you that I got these powers from Arachne, Aunt Maya?" Maya nodded and replied, "That actually makes total sense. But how?" Pavitr removed his glove and showed her the bite mark on his hand.

"Oh…", Aunt Maya replied, "So she gave you her powers by biting you?" Pavitr nodded and answered, "Yeah, pretty much. And I think she brought me into the Spirit World to tell me why. She said that I had to take her gifts out into the world and end the Hundred-Year-War. At first I thought it was a dream, but now I'm not so sure." Aunt Maya got a worrisome feeling when Pavitr told her this and asked, "What did she mean by her savior?" Pavitr thought about that for a minute and replied, "She did tell me that she was trapped in something called the Web of Destiny. Maybe if I use my powers to stop the war, it'll set her free!"

"My advice to you would be to start small.", Aunt Maya said, "Focus on being a friendly-neighborhood Spider-Boy as a start." Pavitr felt a little emasculated by that, so he corrected his aunt by saying, "It's actually Spider-Man, Aunt Maya." They shared a good laugh over that and exchanged another hug. Unbeknownst them, they were being watched from some bushes by a small red and blue spider. This is an unexpected turn of events, Arachne thought to herself, Oh well. I guess I can wait a little bit longer.

* * *

Everyone on Spider Island was wondering what happened to the mysterious red and blue suited figure that swung to their rescue. Only Aunt Maya and Meera Jain knew the truth. And, quite honestly, Pavitr wanted to keep it that way. The last thing he wanted was the citizens to hound him with a bunch of questions. He had quietly packed away his circus outfit, several weeks worth of food and a canteen of water. He knew he had a long journey ahead of him and that there were things that needed to be done before he left.

Citizens of Spider Island were allowed to take extended leave only if the elders of the community deemed the reasons important. And so it was that Pavitr appeared before the council of elders, led by Kirbah the Wise, and requested to take leave of the island under the false pretense that he wished to join the Fire Nation army. To the suprise of everyone, the verdict Kirbah gave was to allow Pavitr to go. Pavitr had always known the elders to be opposed to the Fire Nation's war efforts, but somehow he got the feeling they knew what was really going on. Before he went on his way, Kirbah offered a prayer to Arachne to protect Pavitr on his journey and coated his forehead with red dye in the shape of an hourglass.

As Pavitr made his way to the ferry, a crowd of people followed him to see him off. It was then that Pavitr said goodbye to everyone that was important in his life. His aunt, Meera Jain, his teachers, his classmates, even Falak had come forward to give him a respectful handshake. Once he had bid his peers farewell, Pavitr stepped once again onto the ferry and made his journey towards the mainland. Little did he know that the path that his newfound powers had set him on would soon collide with that of a group of other young heroes.

* * *

 **Next Time: Spidey Meets the Gaang**


	12. Spidey Meets the Gaang

"STOP!", yelled the commanding officer of a group of Fire Nation soldiers. They were currently chasing an Air Nomad boy and his companions, a Water Tribe girl and boy. It was Avatar Aang and his friends, Katara and Sokka. Ever since the siblings had found Aang and his flying bison Appa in an iceberg back in the South Pole, they had been chased out of village after village by Fire Nation soldiers.

Even after recently arriving in the village of Dit-Koh, the trio couldn't escape the scrutiny of the Fire Nation. They were currently being chased by spear-carrying firebenders on ostrich horseback. Taking a detour down an alley, Aang, Katara and Sokka ran past a familiar looking cabbage merchant, whose cart Aang sent a gust of wind at to blow into the Fire Nation soldiers. "MY CABBAGES!", the merchant screeched.

This shriek alterted the attention of a red-and-blue clad figure who was clinging to the side of one of the buildings. Pavitr's first stop after leaving the ferry had been to return to Shuzumu's Flaming Circus. Ty Lee was the only other person who knew about his powers and he needed a friend right now. Plus, he figured if he was going to be a 'friendly-neighborhood' Spider-Man, Dit-Koh Village would be a good place to start.

Much to Pavitr's disappoint though, he soon found out that, apart from a few pickpocketers here and there, there weren't too many crimes to stop. So he turned his attention to disrupting the Fire Nation military occupation there. He still remembered that Arachne wanted him to help end the Hundred-Year-War, so Pavitr thought it would be a good idea to start by pushing the Fire Nation troops out of Dit-Koh Village.

Many soldiers could attest, once the webbing had been removed from their mouths, that during their rounds of 'keeping the peace', which was code for harrassing and exploiting residents of Dit-Koh Village, they had encountered a red and blue figure crawling along the walls. Said red and blue figure was now swinging across Dit-Koh Village to answer the cries of the offended cabbage merchant.

"Good afternoon, citizen.", Spider-Man greeted mock-authoritatively, "What troubles you on this otherwise fine day?" The hysterical merchant pointed in the direction that the trio had fled and shouted, "Those hoodlums desecrated my cabbage cart! Bring them to justice!" Spider-Man glanced in the direction that the trio were running and replied to cabbage merchant, "Not to worry, cabbage man. Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man is on the job."

With that Spider-Man swung off after the three offenders. He had updated his look since returning to Dit-Koh Village. The ninja-like circus outfit that Ty Lee had let him have, he had learned, was too frightening. While it scared criminals, which was what Pavitr had wanted, it also scared the people he was trying to save, which he didn't want. Therefore, Pavitr started making drawings of potential alternate looks for himself.

The one he finally settled on was a simple design. A red and blue long-sleeved shirt with a web pattern sewn and a black spider symbol into the red parts. A mask would be attached to the shirt and would have white eye pieces made of two way mirror so that Pavitr could see out, but no one could see in. The rest of the costume consisted of a red sash with the same web pattern, baggy white pants and red pointed shoes with gold trim.

After acquiring the materials, many of which came through looting from rich people who passed through Dit-Koh Village, Pavitr threw it all together as the official Spider-Man suit. The reaction so far was mostly positive and the people of Dit-Koh Village began to hail Spider-Man as their local hero.

As Spider-Man swung away, the cabbage merchant yelled after him, "My name is Kantu! Not cabbage man!" As he gathered his cabbages, he thought to himself, _That's it! I'm boarding the ferry to Ba Sing Se first chance I get!_

* * *

Aang, Katara and Sokka had taken a turn down a dark alley and successfully lost the Fire Nation soldiers. Now they were catching their breath. "That was way too close!", exclaimed Sokka. "Well SOMEBODY said we had to go into Dit-Koh Village!", Katara said angrily, "Because apparently they had meat!" Sokka glared at his sister and shot back, "I can't help my basic instincts! My belly demands meat!"

Katara and Sokka went back and forth with each other, while Aang sighed in frustration. He couldn't understand why those two couldn't just get along. Then again, he'd never had any siblings. "What are those fighting about?", a voice next to Aang's ear whispered. The boy turned around and was greeted with a red face and large white eyes.

Aang let out a frightened gasp as he found himself looking at a red and blue creature hanging upside down on a line of spider web. Aang tried to get Katara and Sokka's attention by touching their shoulders. "G-Guys?", asked Aang, but they wouldn't pay attention to him. Suddenly, the creature shot more webbing from its wrist at Sokka and Katara's mouths.

"Simmer down you two!", the creature said, "The kid's trying to tell you something." The Water Tribe siblings looked in the direction of the voice and their eyes got wide with fear. They immediately ripped the webbing off their mouths and Sokka screeched, "WHAT IS THAT?!". The creature turned its head both ways and answred, pointing to itself, "Who me? I'm just you're friendly neighborhood Spider-Man."

* * *

 **Next Time: A Marvelous Team-Up**


End file.
